--Submitted by John Young--Photographs by Matthew Lettington & Bil Derby

The Introduction to Snowshoeing for Novices quickly morphed into an intermediate outing due to the sketchy snow conditions. With 23 of us setting out from Raven Lodge, we split into two groups, with Matt helping to lead the other group. I had decided to head uphill from Raven Lodge, reasoning that the snow would be better higher up, and it would be easier to navigate in the fog going uphill and then descending. It was tough going up the slope north of Raven Lodge, however, because the hill, while usually almost bare of trees, was festooned with trees and sloppy snow, resulting in us plunging past our knees in the sodden mess. The going, and the weather, did improve as we went along, though, and the sun almost broke through. And coming down was pleasant in places, where there was enough snow. It was a really nice group to go out with, and I hope we get more snow!View full album of 15 images...Total Distance: 5kmStarting Elevation:1087 mMaximum Elevation 1365 mTotal Elevation Gain: 302 mTime: 4 hours